Were Still Not Sidekicks

I like writing fanfiction about young justice, and some other fandoms requests open.

[ynsimagines]

Blake Lively’s Driver Reveals ‘Disturbing’ Justin Baldoni Conversation

Blake Lively's driver recalled hearing an alleged 'disturbing' conversation between the actress and Justin Baldoni, court docs reveal

[ynsimagines]

There is plenty to infer a hostile work environment without needing a single statement by Blake Lively. Justin Baldoni admits to talking about his dick and his porn addiction to his female employee/prospective employee, without being asked. He admits to showing an intimate birth video to a female subordinate without warning or consent. Multiple actresses on set not a party to those case testified about the inappropriate comments JB made. One of those comments: on video, along with him mocking the sexual harassment policy. Numerous females on set testifying to JB's outbursts when women disagree with him. Another third party witness testifying about JH coming into BL's trailer when she and two others refused entry when she was partially undressed and insisting on remaining and having a conversation when BL asked to talk later. The intimacy coordinator complaining about JB improvising sex scenes. Two more third party witnesses witnessing JB talking about his personal sexual consent issues to a subordinate. Also Taylor’s team didn’t lie about her involvement in the film they didn’t say she wasn’t involved, they said her involvement was minimal and the leaked texts continue to back it up. Also if my friend said she was being sexually harassed at work I would say much worse than Taylor did…

[ynsimagines]

If those of you who insist on believing Taylor is now MAGA or she’s some terrible person watched “end of an era” you’d actually realize why that’s difficult to believe.

1. The rainbow sign in her home isn’t subtle or accidental it’s consistent with her long-standing public support for the LGBTQ+ community.

2. She speaks directly about hiring a diverse cast of dancers and wanting that diversity to be visible and celebrated on stage, while also featuring them throughout the documentary. (This isn’t something narcissists are known for BTW, they hate sharing the spotlight.)

3. The choreography and casting don’t reinforce traditional gender norms; performers are featured for talent and individuality, not stereotypes.

4. Worker-first practices: Every member of her touring crew received extremely generous bonuses on top of competitive base pay. She also made sure her employees were taken care of before buying back her masters.

5. Union labor & healthcare: Her tour used unionized labor with healthcare benefits, which goes beyond industry norms and reflects pro-labor values.

6. She met privately with victims and survivors of the Taylor Swift dance class stabbing, an experience that visibly affected her and led to her breaking down emotionally. Covert or overt narcissists typically avoid private, emotionally taxing interactions; choosing to show up quietly, off-camera, and emotionally vulnerable runs counter to that pattern.

7. Oh last thing: criticizing or making fun of her for releasing demos is ridiculous considering A: fans have been begging her for them. B: other artists also often release them, C: the demos were sold as part of a deluxe version of her album.

You don’t have to like Taylor Swift, but the values shown in End of an Era inclusion, labor protections, emotional empathy, and rejecting rigid hierarchies don’t align with MAGA ideology or with narcissistic behavior.

[nowimhaunted]

crazy how Kanye west made revenge porn of Taylor Swift and literally no one cared

[nowimhaunted]

since this is going around again here is a reminder to all the self-proclaimed tumblr feminists that feminism also applies to women that you don't like

[ynsimagines]

I think it’s so satisfying to see Whitney Levitt become successful because she’s like the theatre nerd who got ostracized by the popular girls and now they suddenly want to be her friends.

[ynsimagines]

Taylor Swift's Last Album Sparked Bizarre Accusations of Nazism. It Was a Coordinated Attack

Data analysis from startup GUDEA reveals inauthentic social media network that pushed false narrative about her ties to MAGA world and white

I’ll just leave this here…

[ynsimagines]

Fun fact: so the guy who’s making videos on tik tok about Taylor swift allegedly being a covert narcissist is an Andrew Tate supporter, also he has no background in psychology.

1. The lightning bolt necklace didn’t have 8 lightning bolts, it had 12 in relation to her 12 albums. The tiktoker who said the necklace was a n@zi dog whistle admitted that it was all rage bait because she needed to pay her rent.

2. Taylor swift did not pay another bride so she could have the venue on the date she wanted. The owner of the venue has come out to say that this is not true, it’s hilarious if you think we’ll know the date or venue of the wedding before it happens.

3. Taylor did not give trump permission to use her song on tik tok. However, like any other tik tok user trump/the White House is able to use any of the songs from tik tok’s music library they’d only have to get her permission if it was a campaign or political rally. The White House said they used Taylor’s song as rage bait, and you all have fell for/are falling for it. Taylor was in on the parody Stephen Colbert did about trump using her song.

4. Taylor did wear white to a friend’s wedding however that was the dress code, so no she was not trying to “show up the bride.”

5. The video of the fitness model that Travis reposted has been proven to be a hoax.

[canvascoloredin]

Assuming that your first point is in fact true, and I'd like to see proof of that first, then the TikTok creator most definitely should not have done that, and like other accounts peddling hate and misinformation, need to be aptly punished by the platform. I'm going to assume that there was a lag between the time she posted her first video, and her second explainer video. The video had gone viral, already, and whether or not Taylor herself is online to see it, SURELY she has SOMEONE on her team whose job is to do so for her. If that's the case, why didn't they inform her about it, so that she could release a statement along the lines of recognizing and apologizing for how it had been perceived, promise to do better, and implement stricter quality control of her merch that bears her name. It doesn't help that a few years ago, instead of denouncing the white supremacist groups that had publicly named her their "Aryan Goddess" mascot, that she sued the journalist reporting on it. Secondly, what do you have to say about the SEVERAL black creators who HAVE made videos of the multiple racist micro aggressions in her lyrics? Neither of these instances may have been her intention, but neither was it Lizzo's when she used the word Spaz in one of her recent songs, and was made to apologize for it? Why should Taylor get a pass if her peers don't?

This is probably true, idk. Like with the first bullet, I would like an official source from the owner of the venue before I make any opinions.

3. The White House may not NEED permission to use her songs for any videos that this facist administration AND THE ISARELI DEFENSIVE FORCES made using her songs, IS pretty jarring considering her, and I quote "need to be on the right side of history" and song "Only the Young" from Miss Americana. She could also do what Olivia did and have her songs REMOVED from TikTok's library of music. Historically, facism isn't something that goes away when it's ignored. It's defeated when people give enough fucks about it to take concrete actions AGAINST it. It's the same thing as Lizzo's accidental use of the word Spaz, and the justified outcry and demand for an apology that followed. Even if she is anti-Trump, not speaking can be misconstrued to mean alignment with it. It's also odd considering Taylor is notorious for being extremely selective with the use of her music in media. Why the exception with what could arguably be the MOST IMPORTANT use of her music.

4. How do you know that white WAS in fact, part of the dress code's color scheme? I assume the bride is private on social media, so unless a swiftie follows her and spread it, which in itself is a violation of their privacy, then there's no way to be able to verify that. Also, it is highly unusual to have white be part of the dress code given how deeply wrapped in tradition it is, but I digress. To each their own. Regardless of that, she and Travis STILL should not have been swaying in their seats while another bride and groom were having their first dance at a different wedding. The more respectful way to support your friend/Travis' cousin would be to sit still and politely watch like every single other guest was doing.

5. This one is hard to prove, and it's easy to give Travis plausible deniability because who hasn't accidentally reposted a reel that they didn't mean to. That still however, doesn't explain the other black fitness influencers that he has NO KNOWN CONNECTIONS TO, or the fact that he STILL doesn't follow Taylor despite being in a relationship for 2.5 years now.

[ynsimagines]

1. She didn’t sue a journalist for exposing white supremacists, she sued a blogger for defamation. She later publicly denounced white supremacy. Lizzo apologized for using a documented slur; Taylor’s lyric critiques are interpretive, not universally agreed on. Those situations aren’t equivalent, and silence in the first day of a viral clip doesn’t equal indifference. You can easily go online and see that the necklace has 12 lightning bolts not 8…

On the lyric criticism: people are allowed to critique art, but there is a difference between harmful impact that requires accountability and subjective interpretation of vague lines. With Taylor, the claims of “microaggressions” are interpretive, not universally agreed upon, and there is no consensus that those lyrics were objectively racist in intent or language. You can debate impact without falsely equating the situations.

2. “According to Ocean House’s sales-and-marketing director, the resort ‘would not and is not allowing another party or entity to buy a wedding group out of a contracted wedding date.’ - the venue put out this public statement..

3. Taylor not publicly responding to the White House using her song doesn’t mean she supports it. If any legal review or action is happening behind the scenes, she would be advised not to speak at all, because public statements can weaken a case. Also, pulling a song from TikTok is not equally simple for every artist. Taylor’s catalog has layered licensing across ownership, distribution, and platform agreements that make instant removal far more complicated than it is for newer artists like Sabrina or Olivia. And importantly, when she did intentionally engage with the situation like Stephen Colbert’s parody her team was involved and permission was given, which shows she draws a clear line between controlled satire and unauthorized political use. Silence here is strategy, not endorsement

4. multiple guests wore very light or white-adjacent outfits, the bride’s look was non-traditional, and no one involved expressed any issue with Taylor’s outfit at the time. If it were actually a breach of etiquette, it would have been addressed by the couple or the press immediately and it wasn’t.

5. The repost claim was traced back to a snark account known for fabricating content. No archived screenshot, no screen recording, no timestamped IG data, and no legitimate media outlet ever verified that Travis actually reposted anything. If a repost had been real, there would be saved mirrors and platform records, and there are none.

Not following each other publicly is a deliberate privacy and boundary choice, not a relationship issue. Taylor has a long history of keeping her personal life offline after being burned by public scrutiny, and Travis is also careful about engagement bait. Plenty of real couples especially high-profile ones don’t follow each other to avoid fan monitoring, algorithm farming, and constant screenshots being turned into narratives. Lack of follows is not lack of a relationship. Taylor literally doesn’t follow anyone.

[ynsimagines]

Fun fact: so the guy who’s making videos on tik tok about Taylor swift allegedly being a covert narcissist is an Andrew Tate supporter, also he has no background in psychology.

1. The lightning bolt necklace didn’t have 8 lightning bolts, it had 12 in relation to her 12 albums. The tiktoker who said the necklace was a n@zi dog whistle admitted that it was all rage bait because she needed to pay her rent.

2. Taylor swift did not pay another bride so she could have the venue on the date she wanted. The owner of the venue has come out to say that this is not true, it’s hilarious if you think we’ll know the date or venue of the wedding before it happens.

3. Taylor did not give trump permission to use her song on tik tok. However, like any other tik tok user trump/the White House is able to use any of the songs from tik tok’s music library they’d only have to get her permission if it was a campaign or political rally. The White House said they used Taylor’s song as rage bait, and you all have fell for/are falling for it. Taylor was in on the parody Stephen Colbert did about trump using her song.

4. Taylor did wear white to a friend’s wedding however that was the dress code, so no she was not trying to “show up the bride.”

5. The video of the fitness model that Travis reposted has been proven to be a hoax.

[ynsimagines]

Kiddo, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but Taylor Swift is engaged to a man who makes a whole hobby out of defending misogynists and abusers. That's her people. She only cares about issues that affect her or people just as privileged as she is, or things that carry no risk to speak out on. She is a conservative. She's not your friend.

I see that you feel strongly about this, but what you’re saying is unproductive and, frankly, not true.

Taylor Swift has a documented history of speaking out on issues that don’t just affect her. She has taken a public stand for LGBTQ+ rights long before it was “safe” in the country music industry. She’s advocated for women’s rights, voting access, gun reform, and survivors of sexual assault — and in doing so, she’s taken a lot of risks, especially given the size of her platform and how scrutinized she is.

Saying she “only speaks on issues that carry no risk” ignores that she was silenced and dragged by the media for years. And when she did speak out politically — like endorsing Democratic candidates in 2018 — she lost conservative fans and endured right-wing backlash. That’s not nothing.

As for Travis Kelce: he’s a advocated for vaccines, is pro-LGBTQ+, and has made progressive comments that put him very far from the “misogynist defender” label you’re using against him. Being in the public eye — or dating someone — doesn’t mean you’re responsible for every single person they’ve stood, talked, or smiled next to.

Lastly, calling her a conservative for wanting marriage or privacy is insane. That’s not political — that’s human. We can debate nuances in her feminism or public activism, but turning disagreement into a moral indictment doesn’t help anyone.

[ynsimagines]

The Life of a Showgirl

I wanted to do a deep dive into “the Life of a showgirl” particularly the songs that are getting the most hate for being tone deaf, having racist lyrics, or anything else that I wanted to break down. Not that I think I have more authority than anyone else but I have a degree in English literature and am currently going for a masters in Library science. Within my degree I have extensively studied indigenous peoples literature, African literature & studies, sociology and rhetoric.

1. Opalite

This is one of the songs that I’m seeing get some flack mainly because Taylor is referencing Travis’ ex Kayla Nichole when she says “she was in her phone and you were just a pose”. People have been accusing Taylor of being insecure, petty, etc…for bringing up Travis’ ex which is a fair enough criticism. My problem is why was it okay for people before this album to make fun of Taylor and compare her to Kayla including body shame her (Taylor has suffered an eating disorder in the past), but when Taylor says the most mild critique of Kayla she’s the devil? Mind you it’s information that Travis probably told her. Also it’s not like Taylor’s the only artist to ever talk about a partner’s ex in a song.

Then people go on to accuse Taylor of being racist due to the line “sleepless in an onyx night, now the sky is opalite.” This line has nothing to do with Kayla Nichole or any of Travis’ exes. Onyx night refers to a dark time in Taylor’s life before she met Travis. I’d compare it to new moon in the twilight series because that book was the darkest part in Bella’s life. “But Taylor then said opalite which is white,” wrong. Opalite is light blue, opal is white, “well Taylor referring to Travis and herself as opalite which is a man made stone means she thinks they’re fake.” No shes saying they’re opalite because it’s man made happiness she’s realized they can make their own happiness. Seriously though back to the racism thing id never hear the words onyx night and think of a black person because my mind doesn’t go there. If you hear that song and you immediately think of a black person maybe you’re racist.

2. Father figure

I haven’t seen this song get as much criticism as some of the others, but alas. This song is about Scott borchetta selling her masters to Scooter Braun this was a huge betrayal because Scott was someone Taylor truly trusted. Taylor even refers to Scott’s whiskey company when she says “brown liquor”, eventually the tables turn in the song and Taylor is now the more powerful person in the room. “Omg she’s so cocky”, lol get over it if anyone else sang these lyrics you’d think it was iconic. “I protect the family”, is about her masters the albums that were sold, this is not a line that has ever been said by MAGA conservatives and it’s not racist. Fans have been referring to Taylor’s albums as a “family”, “characters”, etc…for a while. Also, don’t even get me started on the hats, no they don’t look like MAGA hats the font is not even the same. People wear hats with sayings on them all the time, seriously get a grip.

3. Eldest daughter

Okay, so eldest daughter isn’t my favorite lyrically (except for the bridge). However, once again saying the lyrics are “racist” is factually incorrect. The song is about suffering from “eldest daughter syndrome”, wanting to be cool, but knowing you are not cool. Thats Taylor in a nutshell, the lyrics in question “I’m not a bad bitch, this isn’t savage” are being critiqued because many people claim that “savage” is a slur towards black women. However, it historically is not you can google and fact check this. The word savage is a slur towards indigenous people when it is used against them in a derogatory way, but in the context that Taylor used it it is not considered a slur. She did not call anyone (even herself) a savage. If we are going to say white women using the word savage is a slur than we need to call out all white, female celebs using the word in their music such as Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato.

4. Actually romantic

The “diss” track. I love how people heard the word coke and immediately thought of Charli xcx. Have you stopped to think maybe it’s about anyone who’s dissed Taylor and not just one single person? Also how is Taylor a mean girl for responding to someone else being mean. Like, let’s just backtrack and pretend it is about Charli. Charli made the first shot and while sympathy is a knife might not be exclusively a diss track it does have a diss in it. “Don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show. Fingers crossed behind my back, I hope they break up quick.” Not wanting to see someone somewhere and hoping they break up with their boyfriend is a diss. Let’s not forget about the Photoshoot of the bloody cut off hand with the friendship bracelet Charli did right after the little girls were stabbed at a Taylor swift dance class. Also remember all the hate Taylor got for dating Matty Healy? Yeah him and Charli are still friends.

5. Wish list

People can change their minds, Taylor could’ve wanted everything she talks about in the verses and have completely changed her mind she is not criticizing people or judging them for wanting that. “They deserve what they want, hope they get what they want”. Taylor has also been talking about wanting to get married/have kids her entire career this is not new. Yes she called herself a childless cat lady because she was mocking JD Vance and someone as just posted an article criticizing her for being unmarried with children. The fat ass and baby face line is about the beauty standards women face in the entertainment industry.

6. Cancelled

This song is first of all a bit of a satire, like blank space was. However it’s also Taylor reflecting on her time being cancelled years ago. Women are held to ridiculous standards not just in the entertainment industry but in general Taylor isn’t singing about MAGA she’s singing about her friends who’ve been cancelled for dumb things (think Selena, Sophie, Sabrina, etc…) People who’ve been there when she was being cancelled “you had my back, I’ll have yours” this is why it’s not about Brittany. “But MAGA relates to it, so it must be about them, it’s a dog whistle”, MAGA relates to a lot of things that doesn’t mean it was written for them or it’s about them. Being cancelled isn’t exclusive to one political party often times it’s not even political at all and alot of times like I said it’s sexist and something men don’t have to deal with. “Did you make a joke only a man could?” If a bunch of MAGA women loved and related to a Billie Eilish song would you say it’s MAGA coded or a dog whistle? Of course not, cause that’s ridiculous.

Lastly the life of a showgirl lightning bolt necklace was not a N@zi symbol. If you look at the symbol online and the necklace they don’t even look similar “but there’s 8 on the necklace”. There’s actually 12 for her 12 albums the website only showed 8, you can google this (then why did they show eight? Possibly because the bracelet came with 5 and 5 + 8 equals 13? A dog whistle means it’s not loud but the intended group hears it no N@zi or far right hate groups have been claiming it (I did a google search). Also look at the double S in the Kiss band logo, or the notification button on tumblr….

[where-they-raised-me]

For someone who supposedly has an English Lit degree you sure do regurgitate a lot of the same points as literally everyone else defending this album. Interesting that you don’t have anything to say about The Fate Of Ophelia given its mischaracterization of Ophelia and her motivations.

Like, “I did a Google search” as your source on if hate groups are claiming her? Seriously? This isn’t something you can just look up, this stuff would be going on in private Telegram chats and sites you’d only want to access through something like Tor. What did you even Google? “Hate groups using Taylor Swift as a symbol near me”?

I would also assume that, having a degree in the field of English, you would understand that there can be multiple interpretations of a work that so long as they can find evidence within the text to back it up, their interpretation is valid. If there’s a source on JD Vance calling her a childless cat lady, for example, then yes, I can see why this lyric would be directed at him. However, with the rise of trad wife culture given the political climate, people may observe the lyrics present in Showgirl specifically (talk of settling down and having “the whole block looking like you” in reference to Kelce, who like her is pale with light eyes), go “hmm, I wonder why she decided to write this lyric at this specific time?” and draw that conclusion. Your constant shutdown of the other side’s interpretations (“she’s not criticizing or judging other people […]”/“saying the lyrics are racist is factually incorrect”) and goalpost moving ([paraphrasing] “This song isn’t a diss at Charli but if it was here’s the proof that she dissed first”/“why are her critics allowed to compare her to Kayla but when she herself does it it’s bad?”) is indicative of a lack of confidence in your own stance as well as bad faith debate.

Get out of the anti tags.

(Side note: the KISS logo literally cannot be a dog whistle because the founding members of KISS are Jewish and the Tumblr notification symbol is one one lightning bolt, when the entire point of the dog whistle is for there to be two. Again, making me doubtful of how much “research” you actually did into any of these topics and why you claim to be a source on what is and isn’t a dog whistle when you can’t even identify the SS bolts correctly in the first place.)

[ynsimagines]

I’ve actually read a wide range of interpretations about The Fate of Ophelia, and yes it is criticized but not as heavily as some of the others. That said, saying that I “regurgitate” points because I have similar thoughts with others kind of proves the opposite of what you’re claiming. Sometimes people independently have similar opinions because they’re well-reasoned or grounded in facts.

As for Ophelia — many literary scholars have long debated her agency and treatment, so I don’t think one interpretation is the only valid one. If you’d like to have a good-faith discussion about the song or Ophelia’s literary legacy, I’m open to that. But passive-aggressive jabs about my education or originality aren’t the way. Yes I have read Shakespeare, but I don’t really like his tragedies I much prefer his comedies like a mid summer nights dream. I do think it’s ridiculous to get up in arms over someone’s interpretation of a character in a book. Especially when Taylor said she wanted to give Ophelia a happy ending like how she wanted to give Romeo and Juliet a happy ending. Listening to the fate of Ophelia and getting mad that it’s not an accurate retelling of the story is like seeing “And Juliet” or “six the musical” on Broadway and getting upset that they’re not accurate retellings.

Yes, I know that not everything shows up by searching it on Google, but if no legitimate reports, watchdog groups, or documented extremists are publicly saying there’s a connection, then it’s irresponsible to assert that such a connection exists without evidence.

If someone wants to say that the necklace is a “dog whistle,” the burden of proof is on them — not on the deniers to disprove it with something that hasn’t even been substantiated to begin with.

I definitely agree that lyrics, like any literary text, are open to any interpretation. However, multiple interpretations doesn’t mean all interpretations are equally supported by the text or context.

What I’m offering is a grounded analysis: I’ve looked at the lyrics, Taylor’s past statements, and broader patterns. I’m not saying my interpretation is the only correct one — I’m saying it’s more reliable than interpretations that ignore context, are speculative, or reduce complex songwriting to bad-faith hot takes. Also those of you who say the songwriting is “shallow can’t then turn around and say it has some racist hidden meaning”…

As for the “trad wife” point: I personally don’t think wanting a family or showing frustration towards societal pressure automatically aligns with any specific movement, and the line “the whole block looking like you” is about loving someone so much you want to have a bunch of kids with them.

Saying my analysis is “moving goalposts” or “lacks confidence” doesn’t engage with the content of what I’m saying. You’re just tone policing.

I mentioned KISS because it proves how lightning bolt imagery — even when used by Jewish artists — can be misinterpreted or culturally sensitive depending on context. That proves my point about how symbol interpretation isn’t always clear-cut or rooted in malice.

If the KISS logo had to be changed when they toured in certain countries despite being designed by Jewish band members, doesn’t that actually prove my point? It shows that people often project meaning onto symbols without understanding the intent or context. That’s exactly what’s happened with Taylor’s necklace.

[ynsimagines]

You have clearly wrapped your identity and self-esteem around a billionaire who doesn't know or care you exist. She could not be clearer that likes rich white people who wear Gucci and get criticized for supporting Trump and being sex pest apologists, not you. You're writing whole essays trying to convince yourself she's a remotely decent person because that's easier than extracting yourself and being your own person.

I don’t base my identity or self-worth on any celebrity or public figure. However, I simply enjoy analyzing music and media while talking about the cultural impact it has, which is what I did in my post.

I’m more than capable of criticizing my faves where warranted (and I have criticized Taylor in the past).

[ynsimagines]

The Life of a Showgirl

I wanted to do a deep dive into “the Life of a showgirl” particularly the songs that are getting the most hate for being tone deaf, having racist lyrics, or anything else that I wanted to break down. Not that I think I have more authority than anyone else but I have a degree in English literature and am currently going for a masters in Library science. Within my degree I have extensively studied indigenous peoples literature, African literature & studies, sociology and rhetoric.

1. Opalite

This is one of the songs that I’m seeing get some flack mainly because Taylor is referencing Travis’ ex Kayla Nichole when she says “she was in her phone and you were just a pose”. People have been accusing Taylor of being insecure, petty, etc…for bringing up Travis’ ex which is a fair enough criticism. My problem is why was it okay for people before this album to make fun of Taylor and compare her to Kayla including body shame her (Taylor has suffered an eating disorder in the past), but when Taylor says the most mild critique of Kayla she’s the devil? Mind you it’s information that Travis probably told her. Also it’s not like Taylor’s the only artist to ever talk about a partner’s ex in a song.

Then people go on to accuse Taylor of being racist due to the line “sleepless in an onyx night, now the sky is opalite.” This line has nothing to do with Kayla Nichole or any of Travis’ exes. Onyx night refers to a dark time in Taylor’s life before she met Travis. I’d compare it to new moon in the twilight series because that book was the darkest part in Bella’s life. “But Taylor then said opalite which is white,” wrong. Opalite is light blue, opal is white, “well Taylor referring to Travis and herself as opalite which is a man made stone means she thinks they’re fake.” No shes saying they’re opalite because it’s man made happiness she’s realized they can make their own happiness. Seriously though back to the racism thing id never hear the words onyx night and think of a black person because my mind doesn’t go there. If you hear that song and you immediately think of a black person maybe you’re racist.

2. Father figure

I haven’t seen this song get as much criticism as some of the others, but alas. This song is about Scott borchetta selling her masters to Scooter Braun this was a huge betrayal because Scott was someone Taylor truly trusted. Taylor even refers to Scott’s whiskey company when she says “brown liquor”, eventually the tables turn in the song and Taylor is now the more powerful person in the room. “Omg she’s so cocky”, lol get over it if anyone else sang these lyrics you’d think it was iconic. “I protect the family”, is about her masters the albums that were sold, this is not a line that has ever been said by MAGA conservatives and it’s not racist. Fans have been referring to Taylor’s albums as a “family”, “characters”, etc…for a while. Also, don’t even get me started on the hats, no they don’t look like MAGA hats the font is not even the same. People wear hats with sayings on them all the time, seriously get a grip.

3. Eldest daughter

Okay, so eldest daughter isn’t my favorite lyrically (except for the bridge). However, once again saying the lyrics are “racist” is factually incorrect. The song is about suffering from “eldest daughter syndrome”, wanting to be cool, but knowing you are not cool. Thats Taylor in a nutshell, the lyrics in question “I’m not a bad bitch, this isn’t savage” are being critiqued because many people claim that “savage” is a slur towards black women. However, it historically is not you can google and fact check this. The word savage is a slur towards indigenous people when it is used against them in a derogatory way, but in the context that Taylor used it it is not considered a slur. She did not call anyone (even herself) a savage. If we are going to say white women using the word savage is a slur than we need to call out all white, female celebs using the word in their music such as Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato.

4. Actually romantic

The “diss” track. I love how people heard the word coke and immediately thought of Charli xcx. Have you stopped to think maybe it’s about anyone who’s dissed Taylor and not just one single person? Also how is Taylor a mean girl for responding to someone else being mean. Like, let’s just backtrack and pretend it is about Charli. Charli made the first shot and while sympathy is a knife might not be exclusively a diss track it does have a diss in it. “Don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show. Fingers crossed behind my back, I hope they break up quick.” Not wanting to see someone somewhere and hoping they break up with their boyfriend is a diss. Let’s not forget about the Photoshoot of the bloody cut off hand with the friendship bracelet Charli did right after the little girls were stabbed at a Taylor swift dance class. Also remember all the hate Taylor got for dating Matty Healy? Yeah him and Charli are still friends.

5. Wish list

People can change their minds, Taylor could’ve wanted everything she talks about in the verses and have completely changed her mind she is not criticizing people or judging them for wanting that. “They deserve what they want, hope they get what they want”. Taylor has also been talking about wanting to get married/have kids her entire career this is not new. Yes she called herself a childless cat lady because she was mocking JD Vance and someone as just posted an article criticizing her for being unmarried with children. The fat ass and baby face line is about the beauty standards women face in the entertainment industry.

6. Cancelled

This song is first of all a bit of a satire, like blank space was. However it’s also Taylor reflecting on her time being cancelled years ago. Women are held to ridiculous standards not just in the entertainment industry but in general Taylor isn’t singing about MAGA she’s singing about her friends who’ve been cancelled for dumb things (think Selena, Sophie, Sabrina, etc…) People who’ve been there when she was being cancelled “you had my back, I’ll have yours” this is why it’s not about Brittany. “But MAGA relates to it, so it must be about them, it’s a dog whistle”, MAGA relates to a lot of things that doesn’t mean it was written for them or it’s about them. Being cancelled isn’t exclusive to one political party often times it’s not even political at all and alot of times like I said it’s sexist and something men don’t have to deal with. “Did you make a joke only a man could?” If a bunch of MAGA women loved and related to a Billie Eilish song would you say it’s MAGA coded or a dog whistle? Of course not, cause that’s ridiculous.

Lastly the life of a showgirl lightning bolt necklace was not a N@zi symbol. If you look at the symbol online and the necklace they don’t even look similar “but there’s 8 on the necklace”. There’s actually 12 for her 12 albums the website only showed 8, you can google this (then why did they show eight? Possibly because the bracelet came with 5 and 5 + 8 equals 13? A dog whistle means it’s not loud but the intended group hears it no N@zi or far right hate groups have been claiming it (I did a google search). Also look at the double S in the Kiss band logo, or the notification button on tumblr….

[ynsimagines]

The idea that people think Taylor or Travis are MAGA is actually ridiculous. You all are completely exaggerating the amount of “MAGA” friends she has. Brittany Mahomes is her only close MAGA or MAGA-adjacent friend, the rest of Taylor’s close inner circle is progressive. Yes, I know she’s been seen talking to, taking pictures, hanging out with people who are MAGA that does not mean they’re friends. “But they said they were friends with Taylor,” of course they did it’s Taylor swift. If I took a picture with her I’d claim we were besties too. Seriously, she’s a huge celebrity a lot of people are gonna want her picture, come up to talk to her, some of them will be MAGA, unfortunately over half the country voted for him especially when you live in the south you end up talking to, working, socializing with those people even without knowing it a lot it’s almost unavoidable. Should Taylor check the politics of everyone she takes a photo with? She endorsed the last three democratic politicians. “But she didn’t have any songs on her album speaking out against the administration,” TLOAS was written and recorded before trump was elected before Kamala even started campaigning. “Taylor hasn’t spoken out in months”, you mean the same women that has a stalker after her? The same women who’s gotten death threats? The same woman who had to cancel a show due to a terror attempt? The same woman who’s had the president hate tweet her? You really think she supports him? She donates and supports several progressive charities, she also let the governor of California and Colorado (democrats) use her music. Lastly the background of her new heights episode was created like a Dutch still life the books in the background were art books from artists who all were known to have created art that spoke out against fascist and tyrannical governments (you can look this up). Art is resistance, joy is resistance.

As for Travis he has always been known in many circles as one of the most liberal NFL players. He was the spokesperson for Pfizer (he very recently said he does not regret getting this vaccine), he was one of the first white NFL players to kneel for the anthem after the death of George Floyd, and he’s involved in several progressive charities. Not to mention his brother and sister in law are very progressive (both brothers have openly disagreed with Harrison butkers comments and Kylie Kelce has openly said she’s a democrat). “But he supported trump being at the superbowl”, no he supported the PRESIDENT being at the Super Bowl no matter who it is. “Neutrality is support”. Normally I’d agree, but Travis is in a very right leaning organization for an even more conservative team (the chief owners are MAGA) his girlfriend is one of trumps main targets. Doing anything other than remaining neutral could’ve made things so much worse/more dangerous for her. Again, yes he like Taylor has some friends/acquaintances who are MAGA however the majority of his close inner circle is progressive a quick google search will tell you that. Like, come on we’re talking about a guy that bakes sourdough with his fiancé, sends her cute otter videos, and remembered the jeweler she wanted to use for her engagement ring months later.

I’m not saying Taylor and Travis are leftists, they’re liberal democrats there’s a difference.

[withmatchingscars]

people saying this album is her softlaunching being a tradwife because she sings about getting married and having kids as if she hasn't sung about that since her first album and has not been a tradwife at any point when she's also singing all throughout about having a big dick, being powerful, being immortal because of her legacy, and she's spent the entire promo cycle talking about how much she loves to work... like please it's almost comical. god forbid a girl likes being railed and wants kids and sings about it AND also wants to keep working and breaking records and dominating her work sphere.

[cowboylikesubai]

examples of good lyricism on the writing on the life of a showgirl

i feel as though i must put a disclaimer of some sort here

these are NOT the ONLY instances of good lyricism on the life of a showgirl- i wrote this in 20 minutes, these are simply some overall strengths and snippets

i am NOT saying that the lyricism is ON PAR with midnights, the tortured poets department, etc. i myself was underwhelmed, this is not the perfect album

i am sick of seeing you all pull out the "did you girlboss too close to the sun," "i'm not a bad bitch and this isn't savage," or whatever else as a "gotcha!" moment

but incase you encounter an annoying person who decides to say there is no good songwriting- pull this post out because yes there is

tl;dr- her strongest storytelling and lyricism is in the fate of ophelia, father figure, and the life of a showgirl (title track).

the fate of ophelia

intertextual references to the shakespearean play "hamlet" in order to contextualise her predicament before she met her current bf, and examine the healing effects he has had on her life.

imo it is hard to pull off references like these and weave them seamlessly into a song, which taylor did quite well.

elizabeth taylor

strong storytelling using locations and the persona of elizabeth taylor, another woman of fame who has lived under intense public scrutiny.

"under bright lights, they withered away, but you bloom" -> metaphor that compares fame to a destructive force against flowers/nature, conveying the hardships of fame and how it may have catalysed the downfall of past relationships but actually helped bring her and her current partner together, showing his strengths.

opalite

"you were dancing through the lightning strikes, sleepless through the onyx night, but now the sky is opalite" -> uses well known stones to create vivid imagery and a chiaroscuro to emphasise the transition between turbulence and chaos to peacefulness and freedom in life.

father figure

very powerful and effective storytelling overall, especially in verse 1, using minimal (4) lines and imagery to establish 2 personas and their relationship dynamic. uses the key change to signify the change in which persona is singing the song and thus how the power dynamic has flipped.

"the winding road leads to the chateau" -> the adjectival choice of "winding" holds connotations of the journey being long, twisted, and perilous, creating the impression from the get go that this relationship between mentor and mentee is dangerous and to be looked at with caution.

"i pay the check before it kisses the mahogany grain" -> synecdoche of "mahogany grain" to represent the table- the imagery brings to mind luxury. symbolises the power of the mentor,

"your thoughtless ambition sparked the ignition on foolish decisions, which led to misguided visions" -> rhyming creates a catchy tune for the listener.

eldest daughter

irony in verse 1, using modern internet words to emphasise the incongruence that exists between the narrator and appearing "cool."

"every eldest daughter was the first lamb to the slaughter so we all dressed up as wolves and we looked fire" -> using a well-known idiom to convey the collective experience of eldest daughters, but then continuing on and playing with the idea of being disguised as a wolf for sake of protection, i don't need to say more.

ruin the friendship

using a range of visual ("glistening grass from september rain"), olfactory, and auditory ("as the 50 cent song played") imagery in both verse 1, verse 2, and the chorus, to create nostalgia and contextualise the song within her 2000's high school days. she's really fond of doing this if you haven't noticed the pattern already

use of constant rhyming couplets to create a magical, romantic atmosphere- this is compounded by the line's tune "you drive, eighty five" and "your smile, miles wide"

"shiny wood floors underneath my feet, disco ball makes everything look cheap" -> more vivid imagery

wood

"i ain't gotta knock on wood" -> again, utilises and upturns the well-known phrase "touch wood/knock on wood" that most listeners will understand, in order to demonstrate the success and security she feels within her relationship and lack of reliance on old, superstitious habits.

cancelled!

"beware the wrath of masked crusaders" -> intertextual reference to the crusaders, who believed they were doing good, but caused harm to innocent people, connotations of mask = ignorance and deception of the wider public and media.

"the optics click, everyone prospers" -> synecdoche of "optics" to represent paparazzi and pop culture media

the life of a showgirl

reminds me of father figure's storytelling- it uses very few lines in the first verse to build a persona and then uses the chorus to show her relationship with the singer.

taylor builds the persona of "kitty," a showgirl, to teach the listeners the unique nature of living under fame and performing for huge crowds constantly- it is not a universal experience. kitty's characterisation is compelling and makes her alluring (this is also helped by the consistent rhyming), so instead of taylor singing from her own perspective for the entirety of the song, it's a more creative option- definitely made the message of the song stick

[wildfloweronwheels-deactivated2]

It’s not until I get to the end of the album that it hits me. This is the first time ever I haven’t heard Taylor Swift wonder if she’s enough. Not on a single song. She’s not dreaming of running away, hatching escape plans or making herself small. Twisting herself into knots, worried about being seen not as something shiny and new but as a woman, when the lights go down. She isn’t worried about news cycles or legacy or ageing out. She knows who she is – the motherfucking showgirl. And there’ll never be another like her. Besides, she’s not going anywhere.

An extract from my review of The Life of A Showgirl that I'm really fucking proud of and hope you all read and share with every Taylor fan in your life x

[ynsimagines]

It’s funny how Taylor is suddenly a “mean girl” for her diss track towards charli XCX when people conveniently forget the Photoshoot Charli did of the bloody cutoff hand with a friendship bracelet. Oh yeah and this was right after the stabbing in London that happened at a Taylor swift themed dance class.